Illuminating nail clipper
An illuminating nail clipper for clipping the nails of an animal such as a dog, cat, bird, or the like which allows for the clipping of an individual nail at the desired length to prevent injury or improper length cutting for the animal. The device includes a hand-actuated clipping blade used in conjunction with an adjustable in size nail holder which includes a cutting hole and which allows the nail to be clipped to be firmly held at a particular position relative to the nail cutting blade. A light source illuminates an animal's nail to make it translucent, allowing the operator to see the capillaries within the nail and thus to avoid cutting to the live portion of the nail.
This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/807,928 filed on Mar. 24, 2004, now abandoned, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated fully by reference thereto.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis invention relates to instruments useful in the grooming and maintenance of animals. More particularly, it relates to an improved nail clipper useful in controlling the length of keratinous growths, including without limitation nails and claws on dogs and cats, and talons of various birds.
BACKGROUNDProfessional quality animal nail clippers used by both veterinarians and animal owners in trimming the nails of animals, such as those of dogs and cats, have been successfully made and sold for over forty years under the trademark “RESCO” by Tecla Company, Incorporated of Walled Lake, Mich. Such clippers were initially made in accordance with the principles and features of the Laing U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,354 and later pursuant to the improvements of the Clark U.S. Pat No. 3,838,507, both incorporated herein by reference. More recently a nail clipper of this type has been successfully modified for use in clipping human artificial fingernails by employing the principles and features of the Reiswig U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,190, also incorporated herein by reference. Other prior art patents of general interest directed to guillotine-type cutters and clippers are disclosed in the following U.S. patents , the entirety of all of which are herein incorporated by reference: 165,402; 205,088; 1,347,651; 1,927,234; 2,820,292; [2,955,354;] 3,101,535; 3,299,505; 3,430,340; [3,838,507;] 3,845,553; 3,855,699; 3,903,596; 4,228,585; 4,228,585; 4,449,297; [4,856,190;] 5,065,513; 5,101,563; 5,123,430; and 5,533,363 all of which are herein incorporated by reference.
During the course of the use of a nail clipper of the prior art, the groomer typically locates the cutting jaws, blades or other cutting means about the nail which is desired to be trimmed, and actuates the cutting mechanism of the clipper, often by squeezing the handles on the clipper device. However, the nail includes not only the dead portion which is desired to be trimmed off of the animal, but also includes a live root portion from which the nail grows, which root portion includes various tissues, including blood vessels and nerves. Owing to the variability across species of the amount which the root protrudes from the limb of the animal, it is not uncommon during a nail trimming procedure for the groomer to inadvertently cut into the root portion, causing pain to the animal, in addition to bleeding and the possibility of infection of the wound so created, which is an inherent disadvantage in the prior art. Nails, claws and talons are examples of keratinous growths.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to alleviate and eliminate the cutting into the root or the “quick” of a nail during a nail trimming procedure, with the “quick” being the nerve bundle and blood supply capillaries. It is a further object of the invention to provide a nail clipping tool through the use of which it is possible to alleviate and eliminate the cutting into the root of a nail during a nail trimming procedure. It is also an object of the invention to provide a nail clipper meeting the aforesaid objects, which is ergonomical to the user. These and other objects satisfied by the present invention shall become apparent from the disclosure which follows.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a device useful for cutting items needing to be trimmed, including nails, claws and talons of various animal and bird species. A device according to one form of the invention comprises a first handle means and a second handle means, wherein the first handle means and the second handle means are pivotally connected to one another. There is a cutting tang portion including a hole therethrough into which an item to be trimmed may be disposed. There is a housing portion inside which is contained a means for effecting cutting of the item when disposed in the hole, wherein the means for effecting cutting is in effective mechanical contact with the first handle means and the second handle means. There is a flexibly orientable means for illumination comprising a flexible conduit having a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the first end portion of the flexible conduit is attached to the device at a location selected from the group consisting of: the housing portion, the upper first handle, and the lower second handle, and wherein the second end portion of the flexible conduit comprises a lamp head in which is disposed a lamp means. There is an electrical storage battery having a positive pole and a negative pole, wherein the positive pole and the negative pole are in effective electrical contact with the lamp means to cause the lamp means to be illuminated.
The invention further comprises a process for cutting a keratinous growth including nails, claws and talons of a mammalian or avian species which comprises the steps of: a) impinging a source of light having sufficient intensity on the keratinous growth to render the keratinous growth translucent; and b) positioning a cutting device in a desired position on the keratinous growth; and c) cutting the keratinous growth in a selected location.
In the annexed drawings:
Referring to the drawings and initially to
A device according to the invention may include any means for effecting cutting of an item desired to be cut (nails, claws, talons, etc.) contained in any of the prior art references herein incorporated by reference in the foregoing background section, which references are also incorporated into this Detailed Description. Thus, the words “cutting means” as used in this specification and the claims appended hereto includes any and all of such prior art mechanisms for effecting cutting of an item desired to be cut which is disposed in the cutting zone 14 of the cutting tang 30 including those specifically described herein. This includes those mechanisms adapted for use in cutting devices which are configured to be held and used by a single hand of a person operating the device, which device comprises two handle portions that effect a cutting by the handle portions being squeezed together.
In
In
In
The flexible conduit means 10 may be comprised of any material which is rigid enough to maintain the lamp head in any position selected by the user, so as to enable the direction of the light emitted from the lamp head to be oriented in any desired direction. However, the flexible conduit means 10 must also be flexible enough to be bent, straightened, and otherwise shaped as desired. Towards such end, the flexible conduit used by Black & Decker company in the manufacture of its SNAKELIGHT™ flashlight is but one example of a type of conduit means suitable for use in the present invention. Another suitable material useful as the conduit means is a plastic coated metallic tubing which is comprised of a plurality of interlocking annular elements which are reminiscent of scales. The conduit means in one form of the invention is hollow, to enable passage of the wire 53 therethrough. In other embodiments, such as where the battery means is contained within the lamp head, the flexible conduit does not necessarily need to be provided with a hollow interior space through which a wire can be passed, as the wire can be on the outside of the flexible conduit. The flexible conduit means 10 may be as simple as comprising a hollow tube or wire. In addition, the lamp head 12 may include one or more lenses useful for adjustably focusing the light beam emitted from the lamp means 51, to focus the light beam at a point at a desired distance from the lamp head 12, as the use of such a lens or lenses for this purpose is known in the art, one example of which is utilized in the MAG-LILTE® flashlights available from MAG INSTRUMENT of Ontario, Calif. The various lamps, flashlights, and the like herein described, including their functional equivalents, are conveniently referred to as means for illumination.
An alternative form of the invention is shown in
Another view of an alternative form of the invention is shown in
Another alternative form of the invention is shown in
A clipping device according to the invention may be comprised of any material, including various metals, polymers, composites, etc. and may also further include features which enable the blade means 55 to be changed or removed from the device, as the use of removable and switchable blades are known in the art.
Consideration must be given to the fact that although this invention has been described and disclosed in relation to certain preferred embodiments, obvious equivalent modifications and alterations thereof will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in this art after reading and understanding this specification and the claims appended hereto. The present invention includes the subject matter defined by any combination of any one of the various claims appended hereto with any one or more of the remaining claims, including the incorporation of the features of any dependent claim, singly or in combination with other dependent claims into any independent claim, either alone or in combination with the features or limitations of any other independent claim, with the remaining dependent claims in their original text being read and applied to any independent claim so modified. The present invention further includes all possible combinations of the features recited or incorporated by reference in the specification and/or any one of the various claims appended hereto, and alternatively as modified per the foregoing, with any of the features recited elsewhere in the specification or incorporated by reference and/or in any one or more of each of the remaining claims. Accordingly, the presently disclosed invention is intended to cover all such modifications, alterations, and combinations.
Claims
1. A cutting device comprising:
- a) a cutting zone into which an item to be trimmed may be disposed;
- b) a guillotine-type cutting means for cutting said item placed into said cutting zone;
- c) an upper handle means and a lower handle means for operating said guillotine-type cutting means, said upper and lower handle means cooperatively connected to one another to operate said guillotine-type cutting means and effect a cutting of said item placed into said cutting zone when said handle means are squeezed together, said upper and lower handle means having a common laterally extending pivot axis; and
- d) a means for illumination of said cutting zone, said means for illumination coupled to at least one of said upper handle means and said lower handle means so as to extend substantially laterally from the upper and lower handle means along the pivot axis and capable of simultaneously being positioned substantially laterally from said cutting zone, said means for illumination further capable of being moved with respect to said cutting zone in three dimensions so as to illuminate the cutting zone from selected angles.
2. A cutting deice according to claim 1 wherein said means for illumination is oriented so as to effectively provide illumination to a portion of said item to be trimmed, when said item to be trimmed is disposed in said cutting zone.
3. A cutting device according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said cutting means is contained inside a housing portion, said cutting means in effective mechanical contact with at least one of said upper handle means and said lower handle means.
4. A cutting device according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said upper handle means and said lower handle means is adapted to receive an electrical storage battery.
5. A cutting device according to claim 1 wherein said cutting means includes a blade portion which is disposed to move laterally over a hole when said upper handle and said lower handle are squeezed together.
6. A cutting device according to claim 1 wherein said means for illumination comprises and incandescent lamp.
7. A cutting device according to claim 1 wherein said means for illumination comprises a lamp head.
8. A cutting device according to claim 7 wherein said lamp head is selectively focusable.
9. A cutting device according to claim 7 further comprising an electrical storage battery disposed inside of said lamp head.
10. A device according to claim 9 wherein said battery is selected from the group consisting of: chargeable batteries and dry cells.
11. A device according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said upper handle means and said lower handle means includes an ergonomic handle grip disposed on its exterior surface.
12. A device according to claim 11 wherein said handle grip is contoured to fit the inside of the human hand.
13. A cutting deice according to claim 1 wherein said means for illumination includes a flexible conduit.
14. A cutting device according to claim 13 wherein said flexible conduit has a first end portion and a second end portion, said first end portion of said flexible conduit attached to at least one of the group of said upper handle means and said lower handle means, said second end portion of said flexible conduit comprising a lamp head in which is disposed a lamp means.
15. A cutting device according to claim 13, further comprising a housing portion, inside of which housing portion is contained at least a portion of said guillotine-type cutting means, said guillotine-type cutting means in effective mechanical contact with at least one of said upper handle means and said lower handle means.
16. A cutting device according to claim 15 wherein said flexible conduit has a first end portion and a second end portion, first end portion of said flexible conduit attached to at least one of the group of said upper handle means and said lower handle means, said second end portion of said flexible conduit coupled to a lamp head.
17. A cutting device comprising:
- a cutting zone;
- a cutting means, said cutting means comprising a slidable blade, a cutting tang, and a lever tang;
- a first handle and a second handle connected to said cutting means, said first handle and said second handle cooperatively connected to one another to actuate said lever tang and said slidable blade across said cutting zone towards said cutting tang and effect a cutting of an item placed into said cutting zone when said first handle and said second handle are squeezed together, said first handle and said second handle being pivotable about a common laterally extending pivot axis; and
- a means for illumination of said cutting zone, said means for illumination coupled to at least one of said first handle and second handle so as to extend substantially laterally from the handles along the pivot axis and capable of simultaneously being positioned substantially laterally from said cutting zone, said means for illumination further capable of being moved with respect to said cutting zone in three dimensions so as to illuminate the cutting zone from selected angles.
18. The cutting device of claim 17 wherein said means for illumination comprises a flexible conduit having a first end portion and a second end portion, said first end portion is attached to at least one of the group of said first handle and said second handle, said second end portion comprises a lamp head.
19. The cutting device of claim 18 wherein said cutting zone is substantially circular.
20. The cutting device of claim 17 wherein said means for illumination is rigidly fixed with respect to its orientation relative to said cutting tang.
165402 | July 1875 | Bates |
205088 | June 1878 | Hollman |
1347651 | July 1920 | Nauth |
1927234 | September 1933 | Hawkins |
2820292 | January 1958 | Bouten et al. |
2955354 | October 1960 | Laing |
3101535 | August 1963 | Andis |
3299505 | January 1967 | Pionek |
3430340 | March 1969 | Perles |
3838507 | October 1974 | Clark |
3845553 | November 1974 | Fields |
3855699 | December 1974 | Charlett |
3903596 | September 1975 | Crosby |
3943947 | March 16, 1976 | Voll |
3943948 | March 16, 1976 | Sartore |
4228585 | October 21, 1980 | Nelson |
D260308 | August 18, 1981 | Suchowski |
4449297 | May 22, 1984 | Fuchs et al. |
4856190 | August 15, 1989 | Reiswig |
4956915 | September 18, 1990 | Anderson |
5065513 | November 19, 1991 | Reiswig |
5101563 | April 7, 1992 | D'Orgelys |
5117847 | June 2, 1992 | May |
5123430 | June 23, 1992 | Davidovitz |
5533262 | July 9, 1996 | Clark |
5546658 | August 20, 1996 | MacLeod et al. |
5640770 | June 24, 1997 | Fowler |
6220251 | April 24, 2001 | Jeong et al. |
6523545 | February 25, 2003 | Rende |
6553592 | April 29, 2003 | Yang et al. |
6601587 | August 5, 2003 | Shaw |
20020178585 | December 5, 2002 | Yang et al. |
20030010349 | January 16, 2003 | Rende |
20030094183 | May 22, 2003 | Shaw |
20040123875 | July 1, 2004 | Kim |
Type: Grant
Filed: Jul 15, 2004
Date of Patent: Sep 4, 2007
Patent Publication Number: 20050210679
Inventor: Reynolds E. Moulton, III (New York, NY)
Primary Examiner: Clark F. Dexter
Attorney: Wolff & Samson PC
Application Number: 10/890,868
International Classification: A01K 13/00 (20060101); B26B 13/22 (20060101); A45D 29/00 (20060101);